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November, 2018- The company Compac has recently presented its new range of quartz collections in its new showroom in the United States in Aventura (Florida) in an event attended mostly by architects and interior designers. The two collections, Ice of Genesis and Unique Collection, are available in big format(330 x 163 cm). The Ice of Genesis, a collection created in collaboration with Arik Levy, is inspired by the glaciers in the Artic Ocean while the Unique Collection comes in different shapes and two finishes.

October , 2018.- The Spanish company Neolith inaugurated its new stockyard in Novelda (Alicante) on 25 October with the presence of around 300 people, mostly stone industry people from the neighbouring area.

October 2018.- According to the Spanish association of Tile and Ceramic Pavement Manufacturers, ASCER, the tendencies in designs seen during the recent fair CERSAIE, held in Bologne (Italy) last September, have moved towards geometric forms and a return to colour, harking back to the aesthetic of the 80s in the last century. The combining of different textures has been another trend, along with the highly polished surfaces inspired in marble and ceramics in marble look and black stone.

October, 2018.- One consequence of the high tariffs on Chinese quartz imports to USA is that American buyers are now desperately looking for alternative suppliers. Indian quartz manufacturers are,all of a sudden,flooded with orders. At least 10 new factories are expected to come soon. The same American buyer who would pay his granite slab suppliers after several months is now willing to pay a deposit upfront to assure supplies.

August,2018.- All the noise regarding tariffs on imports of Chinese quartz by the US government has had some side effects. For example, many American importers are now shifting from China to other countries like India for their suppliers of quartz slabs. It remains to be seen to what extent suppliers from other countries can really substitute China, which accounted for almost US$ 500 million of quartz to USA in 2017.

July,2018.- The quartz manufacturer Caesarstone Ltd has appointed a new CEO, Mr Yuval Dogim.

June,2018.- In recent years the ceramic industry, now undergoing through an unprecedented innovation phase due to technological improvements in different aspects of production and end products, has caught the attention of investment funds, which have invested in major companies in Italy and also in Spain, till now family owned. How the structure of the industry will change in the medium term, with the industry becoming more and more capital intensive, requiring huge investments in production lines, logistics and marketing, is now becoming the favourite topic of social conversations in the industry.

June,2018.- Most people in the ceramic industry would easily be able to calculate the annual production of a factory. But what is the total production of the vast ceramic industry in the world? Official organisations and associations have calculated it to annual figure of around 13 billion sqm.

June, 2018.-NEOLITH has recently opened a showroom in one of the most upmarket area of Madrid in Barrio Salamanca in the street Pasaje de Enrique Ruano, as a way of being closer to the end customer. The showroom displays a wide range of NeoLith colours and its applications.

June, 2018.- The data available from US customs for the first 3 months of 2018 reveals that for the first time ever the import of quartz surfaces was higher than that of processed granite. Worked granite accounted for US$ 195 million in the first 3 months (Brazil being the biggest supplier) while that of quartz it was US$ 252 million, with China being the biggest supplier. (Source: StoneUpdate).

June, 2018.- The COSENTINO GROUP plans to instal the biggest solar energy installation for self consumption in the industrial park of Cantoria (Almería, Spain). The capacity being planned is between 10 to 40 photovoltaic megawatts and is expected to be ready around 2020.